Pouring plant, especially for lacquers, varnishes, enamels, and the like

ABSTRACT

A pouring installation with at least one pouring station for pouring liquids, in which work pieces to be processed are conveyed by conveying means past a pouring head and a collecting trough which latter together with said pouring head is movable selectively from a first position in the path of said conveying means into a second position out of said path and vice versa, while storage means for storing the liquid to be conveyed to the pouring head are provided from which the liquid is pumped to the pouring head and while said pump and said storage means and said collecting trough form a closed circuit in the first as well as in the second position of the pouring head and the pertaining collecting trough.

United States Patent [151 3,659,554

Friz et al. [451 May 2, 1972 [5 POURING PLANT, ESPECIALLY FOR ReferencesCited LACQUERS, VARNISHES, ENAMELS, UNITED STATES PATENTS AND THE LIKE3,074,374 l/ 1963 Burkle ..l l8/300.6 72 Inventors; Helm! A Friz,Stuttgart; Alfred n 3,132,968 5/1964 Wandtke ..l l8/300.6

stmgansmmemm bmh FOREIGN PATENTS on APPLlCATIONS 1,386,483 12 1964 F ..118 300.6 73 Assignee: Adolf Friz Gesellschaft mit beschrankter ramHaflung, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Gerprimary Examine, ]ohn p McIntoshmany Attorney-Walter Becker [22] Filed: Sept. 11, 1969 [57] ABSTRACT[21] Appl' No; 856,987 A pouring installation with at least one pouringstation for pouring. liquids, in which work pieces to be processed arecon- [30] Foreign Application P i it D t veyed by conveying means past apouring head and a collecting troughvwhich latter together with saidpouring head is Sept. I1, 1968 Germany ..P 17 77 132.3 movableselectively from a first position in the path of said conveying meansinto a second position out of said path and [52] [1.5. CI. ..118/314,118/324, ll8/D1G. 4 vice versa, while storage means for storing theliquid to be [51] Int. Cl. "1305c 5/00 conveyed to the pouring head areprovided from which the [58] Field of Search ..1 18/314, 324, DIG. 4;liquid is p p to h pouring head and while said pump and 1 7 053 saidstorage means and said collecting trough form a closed circuit in thefirst as well as in the second position of the pouring head and thepertaining collecting trough.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures Z4 25 it Patented May 2, 1972 3,659,554

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 In en Mrs.-

Patented May 2, 1972 3,559,554

3 Sheets-Sheet l5 POURING PLANT, ESPECIALLY FOR LACQUERS, VARNISHES,ENAMELS, AND THE LIKE The present invention relates to a pouringinstallation, especially for pouring lacquers, varnishes, enamels, andthe like, with a transporting path for the work pieces and, morespecifically, the invention concerns a pouring station comprising atleast one pouring machine with a collecting trough which when thepouring station is in operation is located in and transverse to thetransporting path, said collecting trough forming a circuit with apouring head movable above the collecting trough, and with a supply andcollecting container and p with a pump.

Pouring installations of the above mentioned type have to meet variousrequirements. In order to be able to carry out the work in a successfulmanner, it is necessary that an absolutely uniform liquid and especiallylacquer film is produced which, due to the thinness of such films,requires an absolute purity of the liquid to be poured and in particularan absolute cleanliness of the parts which are located in the liquidpath, especially of the pouring gap at the pouring head. In particularwhen using fast drying lacquers, it is necessary that the pouring headis quickly and easily accessible for the cleaning thereof.

Furthermore, such pouring installation also must be able to applyvarious types of lacquers and must permit the carrying out of differenttypes of varnishing methods. Each such change-over has heretoforerequired that the entire pouring system be cleaned. The preparatorysteps for such a changeover have consequently heretofore not only beentime consuming but also had inherent thereto a considerable loss inmaterial while requiring undesired long work'interruptions. Suchinterruptions are, in particular with installations provided intransporting paths, especially disadvantageous. On the other hand,particularly with installations on transporting paths, such change-oversare not infrequent because with the great capacity of such pouringinstallations, especially in connection with modern furnituremanufacturing processes using various color combinations, changes in thecolor of the furniture are frequently necessary.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide apouring installation, especially a lacquer pouring installa tion, of theabove mentioned general type, which will make it possible, when adifferent color is desired, to change over without interrupting theoperation, even if a change in the varnishing method is required.

It is another object of this invention to provide a pouring installationwhich will also considerably reduce the costs and operational steps forthe necessary cleaning work.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a lacquer pouring installation according to theinvention with a pouring part which is movable out of the working rangeof the transporting path and which comprises a collecting trough and apouring head.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an installation according to FIG. 1 in which,however, in distinction over the device of FIG. 1 two pouring machineseach are provided on both sides of the transporting path in such a waythat they are located opposite to each other.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a further embodiment of a pouring installationaccording to the invention in which pouring machines are used which areremovable in toto.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an arrangement according to FIG. 3 which,however, differs from the latter in that only one pouring machinelocated at a pouring station is employed.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a movable pouring machine as used in thearrangement of FIGS. 3 and 4, in which the supply and collectingcontainers and the pump with the drive therefor are adapted to be liftedoff the remaining part of the pouring machine and can be supportedindividually.

FIG. 6 illustrates an arrangement similar to that of FIG. 5 with thedifference that the supply and collecting containers and the pumppertaining thereto are supported by the carriage of the pouring machine.

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line VII-Vll of FIG. 6.

' The above outlined objects have been realized according to the presentinvention by so arranging the collecting trough and the pouring head ofthe pouring machine that the collecting trough and the pouring head canbe removed from the transporting path while remaining in the circuit.Such an arrangement makes it possible to prepare a pouring machineoutside its working position proper, in which its pouring part islocated within the area of the transporting path, to such an extent thatthe placing proper of the pouring machine into its working position canbe effected in a minimum of time and thus practically withoutinterrupting the working operation. On the other hand, the pouringmachine when moving its pouring part out of the working position, doesnot have to be cleaned all over each time as it has been the caseheretofore in order to prevent the lacquer from drying on the machine.Instead the pouring machine may be run in a position outside theoperating position of the pouring part so that the pouring machine isready for further use at any time inasmuch as the liquid circuit isclosed as it was before. In this way, rest periods of a pouring machinein which its pouring part is in a position outside its position ofoperation may easily be bridged as long as such rest periods do not takeup too much time. Independently thereof, a pouring machine may, duringits rest period, of course, also be cleaned without thereby afiectingthe operation of the lacquer applying installation. Last but not least,the change-over for different varnishing methods can be quickly carriedout at any time. Thus, a quick change-over can be ef-' fected from amethod according to which the machine operates only with one pouringhead to a method according to which two serially arranged pouring headsare operating while the pouring installation is designed accordingly andis equipped with a plurality of pouring machines.

According to a still further development of the invention, the removalof the pouring part, in other words of the collecting trough and thepouring head of a stationary pouring machine, can easily be realized bymaking the collecting trough and the pouring head adjustable as toheight along a shaft located adjacent the transporting path andextending in vertical direction, said collecting trough and pouring headbeing pivotable about said shaft out of the range of the transportingpath.

If for carrying out the wet-in-wet method, two pouring stations are inthe feeding direction of the conveyor belt provided with one stationarypouring machine each located directly one after the other, it isadvantageous, in conformity with a further development of the presentinvention, to have the collecting troughs and the pouring heads of thepouring machines arranged substantially parallel when they are inoperation and to make said collecting troughs and pouring headspivotable in opposite directions out of the range of the transportingpath so that it is possible independently of each other to remove thepouring parts of the pouring machines from the range of the transportingpath.

According to a further development of the invention, there may beprovided for each pouring station two separate pouring machines whichare stationary and are located on different sides of the transportingpath. Of these pouring machines, the pouring machines pertaining to onepouring station are arranged symmetrically with regard to the axis ofthe conveyor belt, and the pivotable pouring parts of the pouringmachines pertaining to one station are pivotable in the same direction.In this way it is possible to arrange and adjust independently of eachother four pouring machines in the range of two pouring stations so thateven when working in conformity with the wetin-wet method, aninstantaneous change-over of the pouring installation, for instance,from one color to another color will be possible.

Within the frame work of the present invention a pouring machine mayalso be designed as an overall independent exchangeable unit whereby itwill be possible to keep in readiness a number of pouring machinesseparate from the installation. Also the cleaning of such independent orseparate pouring machines is, of course, particularly simple. Inparticular, such separate pouring machines may be employed also only fora certain color shade so that such an absolute and thorough cleaning maybe omitted as it is required with a stationary pouring machine and whenusing extremely different color shades, as for instance black and white,in direct sequence to each other.

According to a further development of the invention, such exchangeablepouring machine may be movable in toto whereby the exchange can becarried out in a particularly simple manner. In order to arrive at aprecise alignment of the pouring machine with regard to theinstallation, the entire pouring machine may be movable into and out ofa pouring station of the installation. A corresponding path is formed byinterrupting the transporting path while the supporting frame for thetransporting path or conveyor may to this end be interrupted within thearea of the pouring station, at least on one longitudinal side.

In order to permit a precise support of the pouring part of the pouringmachine on both sides, the invention provides that the supporting frameof the supporting path or conveyor is within the area of the pouringstation bulged out at that side which is located opposite theinterrupted longitudinal side for increasing the free space in thepouring station. The pouring station may furthermore be provided, inconformity with the present invention, with guiding rails for thepouring machine adapted to be moved out of its normal working positionso that the pouring machine can always be placed precisely into itsworking position.

Between two working stations arranged one behind the other as they arenecessary, for instance, for the wet-in-wet method, a support may beprovided which has a roller equipped supporting surface corresponding tothe surface of the transporting path or conveyor. In the said supportthere may be provided the drive for the conveyor belts pertaining to thetwo transporting paths or conveyors so that a common drive can berealized for both belts in a very simple manner. Furthermore, theguiding rollers located between the belts may be driven by a drive onsaid support. A highly satisfactory support of the pouring part of thepouring machine can be realized according to the invention by equippingthe pouring machine with a carriage having two columns provided in thelongitudinal direction of the frame at oppositely located ends. Thecollecting trough and the pouring head are guided on said columns.Alongside said columns there are provided a collecting trough andpouring head which are adjustable as to height in a simple manner.

According to a further development of the invention, the supply andcollecting containers and the pump with the pertaining drive may bearranged separately in the pouring machine. In this way a highlysatisfactory cushioning of the shocks brought about by the drive will bepossible. Such shocks should not be transferred to the pouring headsince this would interfere with the formation of a uniform liquid film.

According to a simple further development of the invention, the supplyand collecting containers and the pump with the drive pertaining theretoare detachably connected to the carriage so that they can be lifted offtherefrom. In this way, the supply and collecting containers and thepump with the drive therefor can be supported independently of thecarriage when thepouring machine is moved into the pouring station. Thesaid support may be effected in a simple manner through a scissors-likelinkage system.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the pouring plant 1 illustratedin FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a transporting path or conveyor 2 for thework pieces, said conveyor 2 including a frame work 2' and two belts 3supported by said frame work 2' and passed over deviating rollers 3'.Between the said belts 3 there are provided lacquer pouring stationseach of which comprises a pouring machine 4, 5 respectively and betweenwhich as support for the work pieces in the area between the pouringstations there are provided two guiding rollers 13.

Each of the stationarily arranged pouring machines 4, 5 includes asupply and collecting container 6 having associated therewith acirculating pump designated P which is driven by a motor 7. The framework 2 of the conveyor 2 is provided with columns formed by shafts 8.The respective pouring part 9 pertaining to the respective pouringmachine 4, 5 is pivotable about and adjustable as to height on therespective shaft 8. The pouring part 9 comprises a pouring head 10 whichreceives the respective liquid to be poured, and a collecting trough 11which through a return conduit 12 communicates with the supply andcollecting container 6.

When the pouring part 9 occupies the position shown in FIG.1 for thepouring machine 4, the pouring head 10 is located above the transportingplane of the conveyor 2, whereas the collecting trough 11 is locatedbelow the said plane. The work pieces distributed over the belts 3 arethus during the operation of the plant passed between the pouring head10 from which the liquid is poured in the form of a thin film, and thecollecting trough 11 so that only that amount of the liquid, whichleaves the pouring head 10 in the form of a film, returns to thecollecting trough 1 1 which does not adhere to the work pieces passedbetween the pouring head 10 and the collecting trough ll,

The pouring part 9 of the pouring machine 5 is in FIG. 1 shown in itsrest position in which the pouring head 10 and the collecting trough 11are along the column 8 displaced upwardly at least to such an extentthat the collecting trough l 1 is located above the belts 3 and that thecollecting trough 11 together with the pouring head 10 can be pivotedinto a position out of operation in which the pouring. part 9 extends atleast approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of theconveyor 2. Also in the out-of-operation position, the pouring head 10and the collecting trough 11 are in communication with the supplycontainer 6 and pump respectively so that a liquid circuit exists asbefore. This makes it possible to operate the pouring machine as a unitalso in its out-of-operation position so that the otherwise necessaryimmediate cleaning of the entire pouring machine need not to beeffected. Moreover, the pouring machine 4, 5 can in this way be returnedto its operational position or moved out of its operational position ata high speed and will thus be immediately ready for use.

While, in conformity with the embodiment of FIG. 1, two pouring machines4, 5 are provided only on one longitudinal side of the conveyor 2 sothat the installation can either selectively be operated with two colorsor also according to the wet-in-wet method, according to the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 2, a total of four pouring machines 4, 4'; 5, 5' arestationarily arranged. As far as the overall structure is'concemed,these pouring machines 4, 4 and 5, 5' correspond to those pouringmachines 4, 5 as described in connection with FIG. 1 so that a furtherdescription thereof appears to be superfluous.

The pouring machines 4, 4' and 5, 5' which are respectively associatedwith a pouring station of the pouring plant or installation are arrangedsymmetrically with regard to the center line of the conveyor 2, and thepouring parts of the pouring machines 4, 4' and 5, 5' respectivelypertaining to one station are with regard to the longitudinal directionof the conveyor belt pivotable in the same direction. The pivotingdirections of the pouring parts 9 of the pouring machines 4, 4' and 5, 5are opposite to each other as indicated in FIG. 2 by the arrows. In thepouring station, always one of the pouring parts 9 of the pouringmachines 4, 4'; 5, 5' may be in operative position, as is shown in FIG.1 in connection with the pouring machine 4. In this way it is possiblewith an arrangement according to FIG. 2 to employ a total of four colorsone after another or, if desired, two colors simultaneously, practicallywithout any change-over time. Furthermore, when working according to thewet-in-wet method, it would also be possible to exchange two differentcolors with each other.

FIGS. 3-7 illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention,according to which in contrast to the embodiments of FIGS. land 2 thepouring machines 14 are exchangeable as a unit. The principal structureof the pouring installation may remain substantially the same asreferred to above and comprises a transporting path or conveyor with aframe work 16 in which two conveyor belts 3 are arranged. Between theconveyor belts there are located the pouring stations into which thepouring machines 14 may be moved. To this end, the supporting frame ofthe conveyor 15 is interrupted at one longitudinal side in the range ofthe pouring station so that a convenient introduction of the pouringmachine 14 will be possible. On that longitudinal side of the frame work16 which is located opposite the interrupted longitudinal side andwithin the area of the pouring stations, the frame work 16 bulges outwhereby a bilateral support of the pouring part 17 of the pouringmachines 14 is possible by means of the columns formed by the shafts 18.

Also with this embodiment of the pouring machines, the pouring part 17comprises a pouring head 10 and a collecting trough 11 which form acircuit with the storage container 19 and the pump located in saidcontainer 19 and driven by a motor 7.

To more clearly show this closed circuit, reference may be had inparticular to FIGS. 6 and 7. From these figures it will be seen, asindicated by the short arrows, that the liquid, eg a lacquer, flows fromthe pouring head 10 in the form of a uniform film over the respectivework piece (not shown) into the collecting trough 11 and from the latterinto the storage container 19. The thickness of the said film depends onthe pouring gap 10a which may be variable in any convenient or standardmanner. The storage container 19 has arranged therein the pump P drivenby the motor 7. Pump 19 pumps the liquid from container 19 throughconduit 19a back into the pouring head 10. The pouring machine 14 thusalso in this instance forms a unit closed in itself in which the liquidcan be circulated independently of the respective arrangement of thepouring machines 14.

In order to pennit a fast change-over of the pouring installation, thepouring machines 14 are displaceably designed and have a carriage 20supported by four wheels 21. The storage container 19 and pump arrangedtherein together with the flanged-on motor 7 are detachably supported bythe said carriage 20 so that this part of the pouring machine which hasbeen designated generally with the reference numeral 22 can be liftedoff the carriage 20 and can be supported separately. In this way, thetransfer of oscillations or vibrations and shocks from the pump systemto the pouring head are prevented so that the uniformity of the pouredfilm cannot be affected by shocks or the like. Such support of the unit22 which, as indicated in FIG. 5, may be effected through theintervention of a scissors-shaped support is naturally of importanceonly when the entire pouring machine 14 is in its operative position, inother words, when it has been moved into the transporting path orconveyor 2. In order to assure a precise alignment of the pouringmachine 14 within the conveyor 15, guiding rails 24 are provided in therange of the pouring station.

Between the pouring stations which are arranged one behind the otherwhen looking in the direction of the conveyor 15, there are alsoprovided guiding rollers 13 for supporting the work pieces similar tothe arrangement of FIGS. 3 and 4. In addition thereto, the support 25located between the pouring stations and in which also the guidingrollers 13 are arranged, may also support the drive for the conveyorbelts 3 of the conveyor 15. This drive is diagrammatically illustratedin FIG. 3 and comprises a motor 26 and pulleys 27.

In view of the employment of the pouring machines 14 which form workingunits closed in themselves and adapted to work individually and alsoadapted to be displaced independently, it is possible within the framework of the invention practically to keep in readiness any desirednumber of colors which can be used whenever necessary or desired. Thecleaning work is limited to a minimum. Moreover, even with very shortperiods of use of the respective color, it will be possible, providedthat a sufficient number of independent pouring machines 14 is provided,always to efiect a fast color change which means a fast exchange of therespective pouring machine 14.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular constructions shown in the drawings butalso comprises any modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What we claim is:

1. A pouring installation for pouring liquids, especially lacquers,varnishes and enamels, over work pieces to be processed, which includes:longitudinally extending conveying means for conveying work pieces to beprocessed; at least first and second pouring stations arranged onedirectly behind the other in the longitudinal direction of saidconveying means located transverselythereof, said conveying meansincluding a frame having longitudinal sides, one of the sides of saidframe being cut out opposite said pouring stations; each of said pouringstations including at least one pouring machine mounted as a unit forindependent movement through the cutout in said side into and out ofcooperation with said conveying means and a pouring head and acollecting trough located underneath as associated with said pouringhead; substantially vertical pivot means respectively pivotally andvertically adjustably supporting said pouring head and said collectingtrough of each of said first and second pouring stations; each of saidpouring heads and pertaining collecting troughs being movable upwardabove said conveying means and pivotable on said pivot meansrespectively from a first position sub-stantially extending in thedirection of and parallel to said conveying means as well as beingswingable into a second position substantially transverse to thelongitudinal direction of said conveying means; the direction of thepivoting movement of the head and trough of a pouring machine pertainingto the first pouring station being opposite to the pivoting direction ofthe head and trough of a pouring machine of said second pouring station;each of said pouring machines also including liquid storage means forstoring liquid to be conveyed to said pouring head pertaining thereto,pump means communicating with said storage means for pumping liquid fromsaid storage means to said pouring head, and conduit means forming aclosed circuit with said pouring head and collecting trough and saidstorage means and said pump means in said first as well as in saidsecond position of said pouring head and the pertaining collectingtrough.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said frame meansopposite said cutout is provided with an outwardly projecting portionproviding space to receive the pouring machine.

1. A pouring installation for pouring liquids, especially lacquers,varnishes and enamels, over work pieces to be processed, which includes:longitudinally extending conveying means for conveying work pieces to beprocessed; at least first and second pouring stations arranged onedirectly behind the other in the longitudinal direction of saidconveying means located transversely thereof, said conveying meansincluding a frame having longitudinal sides, one of the sides of saidframe being cut out opposite said pouring stations; each of said pouringstations including at least one pouring machine mounted as a unit forindependent movement through the cutout in said side into and out ofcooperation with said conveying means and a pouring head and acollecting trough located under-neath as associated with said pouringhead; substantially vertical pivot means respectively pivotally andvertically adjustably supporting said pouring head and said collectingtrough of each Of said first and second pouring stations; each of saidpouring heads and pertaining collecting troughs being movable upwardabove said conveying means and pivotable on said pivot meansrespectively from a first position sub-stantially extending in thedirection of and parallel to said conveying means as well as beingswingable into a second position substantially transverse to thelongitudinal direction of said conveying means; the direction of thepivoting movement of the head and trough of a pouring machine pertainingto the first pouring station being opposite to the pivoting direction ofthe head and trough of a pouring machine of said second pouring station;each of said pouring machines also including liquid storage means forstoring liquid to be conveyed to said pouring head pertaining thereto,pump means communicating with said storage means for pumping liquid fromsaid storage means to said pouring head, and conduit means forming aclosed circuit with said pouring head and collecting trough and saidstorage means and said pump means in said first as well as in saidsecond position of said pouring head and the pertaining collectingtrough.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said framemeans opposite said cutout is provided with an outwardly projectingportion providing space to receive the pouring machine.